Land Connectivity: India, Sri Lanka to conduct feasibility study with third party involvement

• Land Connectivity was among the main matters discussed during the visit of Indian External Affairs Minister of India Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar

Sri Lanka and India have decided to conduct the feasibility study on the proposed land connectivity project with the involvement of a third party, an informed source said.   

This was among the main matters discussed during the visit of Indian External Affairs Minister of India Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. 

He was in the country on a one day visit. He met with President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena. Besides, he held bilateral talks with Foreign Minister M.U.M. Ali Sabry at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.   

This was Dr. Jaishankar’s first bilateral visit after being reappointed to the high office following the recent general elections in India.   

According to a statement from the Ministry, the bilateral discussions at the Foreign Ministry centred on a range of issues of mutual interest including in the areas of economic and development cooperation, cooperation in regional and multilateral fora as well as cooperation between the Foreign Ministries of the two countries among others.   

Following the call on the President at the President’s House, Minister Jaishankar joined President Ranil Wickremesinghe in virtually handing over 48 houses, 24 each in Colombo and Trincomalee, built under the Model Village Housing Project and 106 houses in three up-country estates, built under Phase III of the Indian Housing Project, with funding from India.   

The Indian Minister also virtually commissioned the Sri Lanka Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), which was established under a grant from India.   

Besides, he also held talks with former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) founder Basil Rajapaksa and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa separately.